The novel "1984" depicts a dystopian society, mainly that of Oceania, where the government has complete control and the individual holds virtually no power. 1984 is written by George Orwell and examines just how little power the individual has as well as what the totalitarian overhaul of a society can do. The novel's main focus is to provide a view into what the consequences are when the government abuses its power and makes no secret of it. Orwell's book is a thought provoking piece that effectively challenges our views of current and past governments throughout the world and throughout history.
Orwell writes about government control over the individual in a theoretically extreme way to show the potential consequences if the government possesses too much power, however it is not that dissimilar to current society. O'Brien states "Whatever the Party hold to be the truth is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party" (pg 261). This says a lot about both the world we live in today and the world that Orwell saw, it tells us a great deal about constant governmental thirst for power and their willingness to skew the way we see the world whether it be through media, propaganda, etc; it also shows Orwell's concern for what could happen if the government had no limitations on its power. Orwell sheds light on the Party's desperation to maintain control by writing this but also, on our willingness to believe. The extremes used assist in providing the negative attitude towards the Party and showing Orwell's concern of elites having too much power. The author also uses imagery to give the reader an idea of the extent of the government's power through its intensity. However, Orwell does provide a solution for positive social change when Winston writes in his diary "Freedom is the freedom to say two plus two makes four. If that is granted, all else follows" (pg.
